Charging apparatus for elastic fluids



Dec. 24, 1940. A. A. EVVALD CHARGING APPARATUS FOR ELASTIC vFLUIDS Filed April 26, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENgiJR I Mm+ ATTOR N EYS Dec. 24, 1940. A. A. EWALD CHARGING APPARATUS FOR ELASTIC FLUIDS Filed April 26, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR (1, M, BY WM I WW ATTORNEY$ Patented Dec. 24, 1940 e t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARGING APPARATUS FOR ELASTIC FLUIDS Arno A. Ewald, Oakfield, Wis., assignor to Romort Manufacturing Company, Fond du Lac, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application April 26, 1937, Serial No. 139,012 1 Claim. (01. 251-127) y invention relates to improvements in the flow of air into the receiver slows down charging apparatus for elastic fluids. progressively when the pressure in the receiver The primary object of my invention is to approaches closely to that in the supply pipe or provide means for a continuousdelivery of air hose. If it is important that the pressure in the or gas to a receiver at a pressure materially above receiver should be exactly that at which the 5 the desired delivered pressure, and abruptly shutpressure regulator is adjusted to maintain, conting ofi such deliveries when the desired pressure siderable time elapses between an approximation is attained in the receiver. of thedesired receiver pressure and a complete My invention is peculiarly adapted for use, in attainment of that pressure.

connection with tire filling apparatus, my ob- To avoid this loss of time, metering devices 10 jects being to expedite tire filling operations by have been employed which deliver air into the allowing the air to flow into the tire at subreceiver in a succession of surges. Such devices stantially maximum possible speed, while autoemploy a controlling valve which automatically matically ng off the supply when the deopens when the airin the receiver is below the sired tire pressure has been attained. desired predetermined pressure, and which closes 15 In the drawings: intermittently and remains closed when the pres- F gure 1 is a view-in longitudinal section of a sure differential is insufiicient to cause it to repressure reducing and shut off valve mechanism open. This surge method is virtually a meterembodying my invention. ing method by which successive charges are de- Figure 2 is a front elevation of the dial. livered into the receiver until attaimnent of the 20 Figure 3 is a sectional view drawn to line 3-3 desired pressure prevents the delivery of a furof Figure 1. ther charge.

Figure 4 is a sectional view showing a modified The surge method involves a period of delay signalling mechanism. between charges, and my invention contemplates Figure 5 is a cross section, taken on line '5-5 elimination of these delays by maintaining a 25 of Figure 1. continuous delivery through the inlet of the Figure 6 is a sectional view showing a sigreceiver-usually a valved nippleat the critical nalling device embodying a further modification. velocity possible to obtain in the nipple or inlet Figure 7 is a cross section taken on line 1-1 of duct under any given constant pressure in excess Figure 6. of the desired pressure in the receiver. I em- 30 Figure 8 is a face View of the signalling bell ploy a control valve which closes automatically shown in Figure 6. when the desired'pressure has been attained but Figure 9 is a sectional View of a modified form remains in full open position during the entire of shut-oil mechanism. filling operation, thereby avoiding delays of any Like parts are identified by the same reference kind. 35 characters throughout the several views. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1,

If air or other elastic fluid is stored in a supply the pipe I0 represents a source of air supply, tank, from which it may be withdrawn to fill and it may be assumed to be connected with a tires or other receivers, the pressure in the supsuitable reservoir, tank, or pump, from which ply tank may vary considerably from time to deliveries are controlled by a manually operable 40 time, since thetank will ordinarily not begrevalve ll. When the valve II is open, air enters filled until the pressure drops below an amount the pressure regulator through the pipe l0 and predetermined with reference to a certain degree the hollow coupling nut I2, and passes through of excess over the maximum pressure desired in ports l3 into the cavity M. It then passes any receiver. Therefore it is customary to emthrough a tubular screen or filter l5 to a duct 16 45 ploy pressure reducing and regulating mechain the back wall of the pressure regulator, and nisms which are adapted to maintain a uniform thence through a port I1, against the delivery pressure in a supply pipe or hose regardless of end of which a ball valve is is adapted to seat. the degree of excess pressure in the supply tank. When the ball valve is open, air may pass to the Such pressure regulators are made adjustable in outlet cavity [9 and thence through the port 20 50 accordance with the requirements of any given to a pipe or hose' 2|. The ball valve i8 is held vehicle tire or other receiver, and they would in proximity to its seat by a cage 22 secured furnish a satisfactory means for shutting off deto a cup-shaped member 23 connected with a livery to the receiver when the desired pressure diaphragm 24 which forms part of the front has been attained, were it not for the fact that wall of the pressure regulator and is subject to 55 air pressure in the outlet cavity l9, the air from that cavity being free topass to the diaphragm around the cage supporting member 23. -A compression spring 25 urges the diaphragm to the right in Figure 1, and therefore normally holds the cage 22 with the ball valve slightly retracted from its seat. As is customary in the use of pressure regulating valves, the tension of the spring 25 is adjusted to keep the valve l6 open until a counter-pressure develops in the cavity |9 suflicient to flex the diaphragm in the op posite direction, thus closing the valve.

In its general aspects, the pressure regulator thus far described is similar to those in ordinary use.

The inner end of the spring 25 is seated upon a clamping nut 3|, which is provided with a screw 32 connecting this nut with the cage sup porting member 23. The other end of the spring is seated in an adjusting nut 35 which is screwed into a tubular housing member 36 supported have indicating projections 42 and associated numerals calibrated to indicat desired pressure. The projections 42 and the numerals are preferably calibrated to indicate the ultimate pressure to be attained in a tire or other receiver,

with the aid of an auxiliary pressure reducer at the outer end of the hose 2| hereinafter to be described.

The annular flange 4| therefore serves as a dial which, when rotated, varies the tension of the pressure regulating spring 25, and indicates the degree of variation with the aid of a pointer 45. The shut-off mechanism will now be described.

The delivery end of the hose 2| is connected with the ported end piece 56 of a valve casing 5| which is preferably cylindrical in form and has its delivery end connected with an ordinary chuck 52 adapted to be applied to the tire nipple. As is customary with such chucks, it has a valve 53 which seats with the pressure, and is provided with a stem 54 adapted to engage the'stem of a tire nipple valve, whereby the tire nipple valve and the valve 53 may be opened when the chuck is applied to the nipple with sufficient manual pressure. A spring 55 normally holds the valve 53 to its seat.

It will be noted that'the stem 54 nearly fills the outlet port in the seat for the outlet valve 53. The capacity of this port is slightly less than the capacity of the plunger port 66 plus that of the clearance space between the plunger and the casing. As stated in this application, the air delivery through, and past, the plunger is just suflicient to maintain rapid flow through the outlet but insuflicient to cause the plunger to reciprocate, or move toward its seat until the filling operation has been completed, whereas, in all prior art valves of the class to which this invention pertains, reciprocation, and a pulsating delivery, has been unavoidable. Such reciprocation is characteristic of pop valves.

In my prior Patent No. 1,882,215, I partially overcame the delay resulting from such vibration by using a plunger valve which serves as a piston to compress air under its own momentum during its out stroke and drive the air so compressed through the outlet under momentary excess pressure, thus compensating for the delay in delivery during the return stroke of the plunger. But my present invention invokes a new principle in providing for a continuous delivery at uniform pressure established as a pressure differential between the capacity of the outlet and that required to aid the spring in actuating the valve toward its seat.

Within the cylindrical casing or barrel 5|, a

valve 58 seats against the pressure of the fluid coming through the port 59 in the end piece 50. This valve is provided with an outwardly extending hollow plunger 6|, in which a compression spring 62 is seated, with its opposite end seated in an enlarged bore 63 in the shank of the chuck 52. The valve 58 and plunger 6| are loosely fitted in the barrel or casing 5|, and the latter has an annular channel 65 formed in its inner wall, which, when the valve is in open position, allows the air to pass freely into the channel and thence through the small port 66 to the interior of the plunger, from which it passes to the port 61 in the chuck. 7 With the chuck valve 53 closed, air may be delivered through the pipe or hose 2| to force valve 58 open, and hold it open until the pressure is sufficiently equalized on the outlet side to allow the spring 62 to close this valve.

In the construction shown. the spring tension is calculated to establish a 35 pound differential, whereby valve 58 will be closed when the pressure of the air in the pipe 2| is no greater than 35 pounds in excess of that on the outlet side. Thereupon, if the chuck stem 54 is applied to a nipple valve in a tire or other receiver under sufiicient pressure to open the nipple valve and also the chuck valve 53, valve 58 will again be opened if the pressure in the receiver is low enough to allow air to flow into it from the chuck.

.When the valve 58 is thus opened the cavity 68 will be enlarged and placed in free communication with the annular channel 65, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. With the capacity of the port 66 only a little greater than that of the tire nipple and considerably less than that of the inlet port 59, the pressure upon the end of the valve 58 will be suflicient to hold it in a full open stationary position until the pressure in the tire or other receiver is approximately 35 pounds below that in the hose pipe 2|. Thereupon the spring 62 will close the valve 58, in a steady but positive movement.

Probably the increased compression of the The plunger has clearance in the barrel 5|, (or

tube H0 in Fig. 9), of approximately, .002 of an inch and the film of air leaking past the open valve and plunger may have a steadying influence upon its closing movement.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 and also in that illustrated in Fig. 9, the port 66 (66a in Fig. 9) is .05 of an inch in diameter. While the air is flowing into the tire through a standard tire nipple, a pressure of about 55 pounds is maintained between the plunger valve and the nipple when the pressure regulator has been set to raise the pressure in th tire to 40 pounds. With this differential, it requires only a few seconds longer to fill a tire, than the time required to deliver the same volume of air through the chuck into the atmosphere with the chuck valve open.

The plunger SI and its head 58 provide a combination check valve, piston and throttling slide valve. The head 58 serves as a check valve to normally close the inlet against the pressure of the supply fluid. This head operates as a piston when moving from its closed position to an open position of registry with the annular cavity 65. When in the open position the lateral port 86 is in registry with said annular cavity, beyond which the open end or skirt portion of the plunger extends. This skirt portion limits air delivery to the capacity of the lateral port 68, plus the film of air on the plunger surface.

The lateral port 86 is of sufficientlysmall capacity to prevent a valve actuating pressure from building up at the outlet side of the valve until the predetermined pressure has been attained in the receiver. By keeping the air pressure in the hose 2| substantially constant and throttling the air delivery from cavity65 to the outlet end of the cylinder, I am able to prevent the development of violent air pulsations in the outlet end of the cylinder, which have heretofore caused plunger valves to vibrate with a staccato sound during air delivery. I also maintain a continuous air delivery substantially equal to the capacity of the outlet under substantially the maximum pressure attainable without material plunger actuation.

My improved valve differs from the so-called ordinary pop valve and the similar control valves heretofore employed to establish a difierential between the outlet of a pressure regulator and a receiver, in that such valves as heretofore used have been held open in part by pressure and in part by kinetic energy, and have tended to vibrate, thereby setting up a pulsating pressure in the air. Such pulsations materially delay the filling operation as compared with the time required when the flow is continuous at the same degree of pressure differential.

When valve 58 is open, it, and the plunger head which supports it, are in full registry with the annular cavity 65, and this cavity is long enough to maintain communication with the port 86 under such conditions.

In Figure 9 I have illustrated a modified form of shut-off mechanism in which the movements of the valve are visible. In this construction a cylindrical cage 5la is substituted for the barrel 5| illustrated in Figure 1, and between the end pieces 58a and 52 a glass cylinder H is secured within the cage and serves as a transparent sleeve bushing or barrel through which the movements of the valve may be observed. The valve 58a is substantially like that disclosed in Figure 1, but the plunger Bla is preferably annularly recessed to provide channels III. The head of the valve 58a is of sufliciently less diameter than the glass cylinder to allow air to' pass around the head of the valve to the port 65a of the plunger. This port may be omitted if sufficient clearance is provided to permit the desired volume of air to pass along the plunger. But I prefer to provide the port 66a in order to avoid unnecessary friction between the plunger ribs and the glass cylinder H0. The head of the valve may be grooved and slightly reduced to allow sufficient air to pass the head of the valve 58a to keep the cavity 63a filled with air at a pressure in excess of that for which the device is set to deliver to the tire. I am thus enabled to dispense with the annular cavity 85 illustrated in Figure 1, as provided in the barrel Inasmuch as the valve 58 disclosed in Figure 1 remains fully open while air is being delivered through the chuck there is no pulsation to produce a signal which can be either felt or heard. Therefore, I may provide the end piece 58 with a small port leading through the valve seat and communicating with a whistle barrel H which may or may not be formed integrally with said end piece 58. Port Ill leads to the whistle barrel inlet cavity 12, from which the air escapes through a port 13 to an opening 14 across an air cavity 15, wherein air pulsations are set up in a well-known manner to produce the desired signal pending completion of the filling operation.

Any other means for signalling or indicating the flow of air to the receiver may be employed. In Figure 4 Ihave illustrated a barrel 8!] which may be located anywhere in the air line and provided with an inlet at 8| and an outlet cavity 82, from which air may pass to the barrel 5| of the charging regulator through a pipe or hose 83. In this signalling device, the kinetic energy of the flowing air is exerted against the spoonshaped extremity 84 of a lever 85 which is pivoted at 86 and connected by a stem 81 with a valve 88 controlling delivery to the inlet cavity 89 of the whistle. The lever may be forked and clamped about the spherical head of the stem 81 by a bolt 19.

A light spring 98 tends to hold valve 88 in a closed position, but a jet of air passing through the port 9| will develop sufiicient kinetic energy against the spoon-shaped bowl or bucket 84 to hold the lever in a position in which it is shown in Figure 4, and thereby maintain the whistle valve 88 in the open position while air is flowing.

In Figures 6, 7, and 8 I have illustrated a further modification, wherein air traversing any portion of the air line may be delivered through a port 95 into a cylindrical chamber 96 containing a paddle wheel v9'! to be driven by the air as it passes through this chamber to the outlet pipe or duct 99. The paddle wheel is connected by a rod I00 with a disk llll having a recess, in which a rotary star wheel I02 is pivoted at H33 in such a manner that as the disk rotates, one arm of the star wheel will be brought into contact with a suitable striker I84 once during each revolution of the wheel.

The three signalling devices illustrated in the drawings are merely representative of any one of a considerable number of air operated signals, which may beemployed within the scope of my invention. Also, my invention is not limited to include the use of signals of this type or of any other type, since they are not essential to predetermination of receiver pressures.

While the general organization of the pressure reducing and regulating valve disclosed in the drawings may be assumed to conform to standard practice, it contains certain novel features of importance from the standpoint of simplicity, lowered cost, and convenience of access.

. Removal of the plug l2 affords access to the filter screen IS. The removal of the back wall cap 200 affords access tothe cage 22, the ball l8, and the ported seating member 18, which is threaded into the back wall and removable when the cage and ball are removed.

The diaphragm clamping wall 31 constitutes the front Wall of the diaphragm chamber, and this is removed after removing the cap 38. The portion of the cap 38 which is engaged by the clamping nut 40 has its inner surface made to fit the conically tapered end of the nut 35, whereby calibration and accuracy in calibration are facilitated by loosening the clamping nut 40 and rotating the cap relatively to the nut 35. The outer margins of the cap 4| are inturned to embrace the circular wall 39, thus protecting the interior from the elements.

Referring to Figure 3, it will be observed that the inlet nozzle through which-the port I6 extends, projects through an enlarged hole in the valve supporting member 23, whereby this member may move with the diaphragm without strik ing the inlet nozzle.

In a valve mechanism of the pop valve type,

the combination with a'cylindrical casing having inlet and outlet ports at its respective ends, of

a plunger substantially filling the outlet portion of the casing and provided with a spring nor- 7 mally urging the plunger toward a position closing the inlet port, there being slight clearance between said casing and said plunger, said plunger being provided with a port affording communication from its receiving to its delivery side, the capacity of said port computed with reference to the clearance space between the plunger and casing being so proportioned to that of the casing inlet and outlet ports as to allow the plunger to be held substantially constant-in open position against the tension of its spring during normal delivery of fluid through the casing by preventing fiuid fromtpassing the plunger at a rate greater than that of delivery through the casing outlet port. I

' ARNO A. EWALD. 

